Universal Credit Deductions

[cockerel2]

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone could help explain this to me.

My contract at my previous job was up in September, as I'd signed on within 6 months I did not need to open a new claim with universal credit. I was still receiving statements but receiving £0 as I was employed. I reported the change immediately.

My previous employer reported my earnings for my assessment period Sept-Oct and I received £0 as I was over the threshold and therefore used all of my allowance. 55p deducted from each £1 you earn. This was my final pay from this employer.

My previous employer had however made a mistake with my pay, meaning I was owed money rather than vice versa as they originally claimed. I did not receive this until the next lot of pays my employer did which fell into my assessment period for Oct-Nov.

If I had received this with my original last pay as I was supposed to it would not have affected my UC for this month as my allowance was used up already last month. However as it was late and it's fallen into this assessment period.

Can anyone advise on what I can do? Or is this standard and nothing can be done? I've tried to speak to one of their advisors about it but was told nothing can be done. It's left me very short this month aswell as last month as I was underpaid by my employer. I've since started work but do not know when I will be paid as of yet.

Thank you in advance and thank you if you've got this far.

Raise an RTI (real time earnings) dispute in your journal under 'payments' and explain what you've just said. A decision maker will take a look and hopefully sort it all out for you.

@Thesnowfellfast Thank you so much, do I need to quote "RTI" in the journal entry and then just explain?

Yes if you state that you'd like to raise an RTI dispute and then explain what's happened they should look into it for you

@Thesnowfellfast Thank you again for your help! I've raised a dispute and hope to get it sorted.

Hopeful bump, does anyone have experience with this?

The dispute team got back today to say "there was no change in the earnings to calculate my entitlement" as "earnings are used the day they are reported to DWP".

I was told I could raise a reconsideration if I had evidence to support this, I've since asked if emails from my previous employer stating I was owed this would work. Does anyone know?

I've since started a new job but could take a while to be put on the payroll. I have no savings to fall back on, so the £122 I'd receive has to cover my board (I live with my mother), food and energy for the month. We struggle to keep on top of rent and bills each month as it is, and not being able to pay board this month means I may have nowhere to live as she cannot afford to "keep" me. It costs around £66 in buses to work, so the majority will have to go there.

I do understand this is my issue and I should have had a job lined up immediately but I wasn't expecting this. Life lesson I suppose but isn't it all bleak.